Celebrate South King: A New Chapter in the Making

At Newtown Enmore Business Community, we are about bringing the community together and celebrating the vibrancy that makes King Street so unique. One of our most anticipated events, Celebrate South King, has been an embodiment of that spirit. However, we’ve had to make the tough decision to postpone this year’s event to ensure we can deliver an even stronger and more inclusive program in the future.

Why the Change?

Celebrate South King has always been a collaborative effort, this year we expanded the funding support by successfully gaining grants from Inner West Council, the City of Sydney, and the Office of the 24-Hour Economy Commission. These grants have given us a fantastic opportunity to expand the event to both sides of King Street, something we’ve been thrilled to achieve with both Council’s support.

However, with great opportunity comes responsibility. We recently introduced new operational measures to ensure full transparency in how these funds are allocated and spent. These measures are vital to managing the diverse expectations of artists, businesses, and our funding partners while upholding the integrity of the program.

Despite these efforts, legacy challenges related to funding expectations have surfaced. Some confusion around direct financial support for businesses created delays and misunderstandings, leading us to reevaluate our approach. Rather than pushing forward in a way that might compromise the event’s impact and fairness, we’ve decided to pause, take stock, and rebuild Celebrate South King into a program that fully reflects the principles of inclusivity, creativity, and accountability.

What’s Next?

This isn’t the end of Celebrate South King—it’s a chance to redefine it. The postponement gives us the time and space to reimagine the event with greater clarity and collaboration. Our goal is to ensure Celebrate South King truly serves its purpose: to bring the community together and showcase the vibrant spirit of our local businesses, artists, and cultural contributors.

In the coming months, we’ll be reaching out to business owners on South King to gather their insights and ideas. We want to hear from you about what you’d like to see in this event, how it can better support your business, and how we can collectively create something extraordinary for the community.

We’ll also be working closely with all stakeholders to address the challenges we’ve faced and to shape a program that better serves everyone involved.

Thank You for Your Support

We understand that this decision might come as a disappointment to some, but we are confident it’s the right step to ensure a stronger, more impactful event in the future. We’re grateful for the continued support of our community and partners as we navigate this new chapter.

Stay tuned for updates on the revitalised Celebrate South King, and as always, we welcome your thoughts and input as we move forward.

For updates and more information, please reach out to us or follow our journey here at Newtown Enmore Business Community.

Thank you for being part of this incredible community.

Together, we’ll continue to make King Street the beating heart of creativity and connection in Sydney.

James, Ella, Min, Heleana, Josh, Oscar and Lucy